Suzanne LaVere Herbst Award for Excellence in Vascular Access

The Association for Vascular Access (AVA) is pleased to award each year the Suzanne LaVere Herbst Award for Excellence in Vascular Access. 

Suzanne LaVere Herbst, RN, MA is an renown lecturer and expert in vascular access, and is also recognized as the founder and first president of AVA (formerly BAVAN and NAVAN).  She has over 30 years of experience in infusion therapy including research and development, hospital, hospice, and home care.  Suzanne is a charter member of the Oncology Nursing Society and numerous publications to her credit.  She is the recipient of the American Biographical Institute Medal of Honor and Most Admired Woman of the Decade Award for her outstanding achievements.  Suzanne is also listed in the Who's Who of American Nursing and the World's Who's Who of Women.

The focus of the Suzanne LaVere Herbst Award for Excellence in Vascular Access  is on interventions that promote optimal outcomes for individuals requiring vascular access.

The award publicly recognizes an individual who has made a substantial contribution to vascular access practice by improving patient outcomes and/or contributing to the science of vascular access.  The accompanying lectureship and publication of the recipient’s work in the Journal of the Association for Vascular Access (JAVA) establishes a standard of achievement in the specialty of vascular access. The recipient of the award present a one-hour lecture at the AVA annual conference and is published in the winter edition of JAVA. The award includes a $1,000 honorarium, payment of registration fees to attend AVA’s annual conference, two nights’ hotel accommodations at the conference, airfare to the conference, and an award.

2009 Winner: Mauro Pittiruti, M.D. 

2008 Winner: Gail Egan Sansivero, RN, MS, ANP, ACON

2007 Winner:  Jamie Bowen Santolucito, RN, CRNI 

2006 Winner:  Janet Pettit, MSN, RNC, NP

Herbst Award Selection Process